This has been a year
of many in-betweens.
I have found my myself between
jobs,
emotions,
life and death.
Yet there is so much beauty
in the rhythm of each breath.
The Beauty of In Between
Warning Sign Haiku #4
If someone decreases their eye contact or other connection with you, especially after they’ve been offended, proceed with caution.
A Birdbath Haiku
Even #BackyardBirding can sometimes inspire #Haiku:
Watching birds so wild
and free brings me joy and a
bit of jealousy
My Goal for this Moment
My goal for this moment: Stop thinking, planning, and obsessing so much. Instead… just be and do. #SimplySHINE
Warning Sign Haiku #3
Crazy-making defined in 17 syllables….
Warning Sign Haiku #2
If you’re in a conversation that’s making you doubt your own knowledge, experience, and perhaps even your sanity – put a #stop to it!
If perceptions of reality don’t align and it’s just a circular battle that has you spinning – that’s #toxic so put a #stop to it!
In a healthy relationship, agreeing to disagree and coming to the most beneficial resolution for all will be the result of stepping back and gaining perspective. You both understand that relationship is more valuable than being right.
But if the other in the relationship just wants to keep pouring oil on the flame of their fight to be right or they punish you with long silence after heartfelt apology has been offered, you may have to make the difficult decision to walk away (or to not fight to get them back or obsess about the loss after they walk away).
Either way, #crazymaking is too toxic to allow in friendships, family, work, or any environment.
Stay sane, my friends. Even if the steps to sanity sometimes cause pain.
Warning Sign Haiku #1
Abuse doesn’t have to be physical.
In fact, emotional toxicity can invisibly penetrate someone’s soul in such a way that the damage may be worse than physical.
And friends, family, and other well-intended people helpers may add to the abuse because they can’t see it, so they question whether it is even happening causing the victim to feel even more confused and unsafe.
That is why I am starting a series of #Haiku (#17syllable poems) called #WarningSigns to help us #CheckOurselves and those we allow in our inner circle for signs of #toxicity.
My hope is to shine light on toxic behaviors so we can recognize it in others, step away when we need to, and eliminate these toxic behaviors in ourselves.
It’s time to step away from #toxicity and into #healing and #peace.
Mental Health vs. Physical Health
Now, don’t get me wrong….
I believe each individual is responsible for taking care of ourselves, physically and mentally in the best way possible for our own good and the good of those around us.
A person with a severe peanut allergy is ultimately responsible for getting the treatment they need, carrying an epi pen, and managing their triggers. But sometimes that sneaky peanut exposure breaks through.
What if people treated physical illness like so many treat mental illness? Imagine this with me…. Someone at the grocery store accepts a bite of a delicious looking desert from “the sample lady”. They ask if there are any nuts in it and are told, erroneously, no. The shopper takes a bite of the treat and next thing you know she begins coughing, panicking, turning beet red, and collapses to the floor.
What if the people around instead of trying to help said, “Oh, she’s faking it. Allergies are all in your head.”, “Kids, let’s get away from here – that woman’s crazy. Her hand hit one of you as she fell – it’s not safe to be around her”, or “It’s her own fault for taking the sample. Let’s just let her face the consequences”.
I’m exhausted right now from dealing with some recent triggers of my own. So I will leave it right there.
But please join me in trying to spread some understanding….
An Open Letter to Medicare Aged Individuals and their Insurance Agents
It’s open enrollment season. Every other commercial asks us to trade in our traditional Medicare for Replacement Plans. The incentives include gym memberships, rides to appointments, and online health coaching.
Left unspoken are things these plans don’t cover very well. I have seen many patients face significant care challenges and financial difficulty because the plans they chose don’t provide what they need when facing more chronic or serious health challenges. (Things that are much pricier than rides and gym memberships). It’s heartbreaking. But I am also praying it is avoidable with a bit of education such as what I offer here.
Did you know that traditional Medicare covers as many home health visits as your medical team submits that you need at 100%? Managed care plans focus on preventative and outpatient care and dictate a minimal number of visits while Medicare Part A and/or Part B cover home health services when you are homebound during a major illness or after a surgery at no additional out-of-pocket cost to you.
If you (or your insurance client) are in perfect health needing only preventative care, it makes sense to go for the lower premium and the gym perks. But if, like many of us, you are fighting multiple chronic illness or anticipate some at-home recovery time after having some well-used joints replaced, please don’t let anyone talk you into giving up your traditional Medicare (Medicare Parts A and B) without doing your homework. From Medicare.gov to local Senior Centers, there are so many resources.
Please take the time to do your research homework based on your specific needs. “Future you” will thank you for a careful decision during Medicare open enrollment season.
Sincerely,
Tracy Cappelletti RN BSN MJ CPHQ
Home Health Care Transitions Nurse
The End of the Chase
In this season, I find myself exhausted by the chase that so many of us have turned our lives into. But the beauty that comes by simply being still is often indescribable.
Ragamuffin Oasis: Finding Our Places to Just Be 